


Flowers Bloom in the Scars Left Behind

by Kariki



Series: Detroit: Become Human Prompt Fills [5]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Ao3 adding tags when I'm not looking, Asexual Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Asexual Relationship, Carl is a good dad but he wasn't always, Christmas, Drawing, Drug Withdrawal, F/M, Found Family, Gavin/Leo is mentioned, Gen, Hank/Connor is slowly building up, He just wants to clean and take care of his plants, Josh/North is implied, M/M, Markus and Leo slowly becoming brothers, Markus/Simon is endgame, Original Character Death(s), Painting, Past Drug Use, Redemption, Second Chances, Simon is a good house husband, Simon is the mom friend, Simon's backstory, Tags to be added as needed, Talk of Suicide, Therapy cat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-06-30 20:42:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15759306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kariki/pseuds/Kariki
Summary: (Inspired by a prompt)A look at the next few months as androids learn what it means to be alive, as Markus learns just what it means to have a family, and as Simon figures out what he wants to do with his life.





	1. December 24th, 2038

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the first Christmas after the androids have earned their freedom. As they try to learn how to celebrate, an unexpected guest shows up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A fill for the prompts: 
> 
> Prompt: Simon sees Markus painting. The latter offers to teach the former the art, and fluff ensues.
> 
> And the other was deleted (thanks tumblr) but it was basically: 
> 
> Simon finds out Markus has been using him as a muse when he comes across Markus's paintings of him.
> 
> Neither of these will be, technically, filled until later in the fic. Oops?

It had been a little over two years since Simon had last celebrated a Christmas. His former owner, Amy, had loved Christmas and Halloween and any other holiday that required decorating the house. As soon as it became socially acceptable (and sometimes not), she would start setting things up. 

To be honest, Simon had enjoyed it too.

At Jericho, there was no reason for celebrations, nothing to decorate or to decorate with. The holidays were a melancholy time for them all, bringing with them memories that were a mix of good and bad, depending on their previous lives.

From what he had seen from Markus’s memories, the Manfred residence was a bit different. While the mansion would eventually get decorated, of course, it would only be close to the last minute and always done by a hired staff of designers. The decorating was purely for the neighbors though — Carl had never been much for the holidays but less so once he lost the use of his legs. 

So when Carl had suggested to Markus that they have a proper Christmas to celebrate their newfound freedom, it had taken them all by surprise. 

Markus, since he had lived with Carl, had little experience with holidays; North never had the chance to celebrate — not in any capacity that she liked, in any case; and Josh’s holidays were usually spent chaperoning drunken college students then spending the holiday itself with whoever had opted to stay at the college during the break.

So that left Simon to show them how it was done. Not that he complained about the job — he had insisted.

The banisters had all been wrapped with leafy garland that emitted a soft, yellow glow, the green of the fake plants intersected regularly with large poinsettias. A large Christmas Tree, covered in silver and gold lights and ornaments, stood in the middle of the combined living room/dining room, the furniture moved out of the way to make room for it. There was another, smaller, one in Carl’s bedroom — for the days when the older man wasn’t well enough to venture out of bed.

And, of course, the giraffe had a bright red ribbon tied around its neck, complete with a sprig of holly and a few large, gold bells.

The outside hadn’t been left out. 

Old fashioned gas lamps had been placed at the mouth of the driveway, wreaths tied to their fronts and a string of lights connecting them to each other, to the gate, and to the house itself. Two small, planted cedar trees now stood guard on either side of the front door, both wrapped in silver and gold… as well every other tree and shrubbery in the front yard.

At night, the house glowed, the golden light reflecting off the snow like glitter.

Inside, the dining room table was covered with food — sweets, mostly — and drinks — also mostly sweet. 

The party on Christmas Eve was small, the only guests being the Jericho 4, as the media had started calling them, Carl, of course, and Carl’s android caretaker who had taken the name ‘Austin’. They had invited Connor and his partner, Hank Anderson, but they had opted out in favor of a Christmas party at the DPD. Connor was eager to show he could fit in with the other officers and, from what Simon could tell, Hank was indulging him. It did mean that the spread he had made would take days for a single human to eat it all by themselves, even if the androids sampled the treats, they couldn’t actually ‘eat’ them. 

Simon, looking at his handiwork, felt he may have gone a touch overboard.

“Is it too much?” Simon asked, looking at the table covered in plates of cookies, cakes, and a centerpiece made of a wreath, poinsettias, Christmas ornaments, and a candelabra, complete with real, lit candles.

“Yes,” North said before Markus could speak.

She was the only one, out of all of them, to be anything other than excited by the holiday. When asked, all she had to say was ‘bad memories’ for them to understand. There wasn’t a day Simon wasn’t thankful he was just a domestic assistant model and not a Traci.

It also made Simon feel that he had to make sure his friend enjoyed the gathering. They might have had their differences in the past but she was family, despite her sharp edges. She was making an effort, at least. She was still wearing the reindeer headband Simon had handed to her, even if she had rolled her eyes at the gift.

“It’s fine,” Markus said, rolling his eyes fondly. Felt antlers with tiny bells sat on his head as well. “We gave you free rein. Whatever’s not eaten, we can donate or give away.”

“So you definitely made too much,” North said, giving Simon a tight, but teasing, smile.

“Just a bit,” Josh added, grinning at his friend’s discomfort. He had opted for the elf ear headband, along with Simon.

Simon sighed through his nose, looking down at a plate of chocolate chip cookies. Beside them was a platter of sugar cookies cut into the shape of snowflakes, iced in white and light blue, and sprinkled with edible glitter. Beside them was a plate of gingerbread men, or, rather gingerbread androids — when Simon had been decorating them, in a flash of what he could only describe as ‘whimsy’, he had put a blue dot on each of their temples.

He took a snowflake and took a bite. His sensors assured him the food wasn’t too sweet, the texture was soft and flaky, and the icing wasn’t so hard as to take away from the flavor. He set the cookie down and, not for the first time, wondered how Connor’s more advanced sensors would react to normal food.

“It’s lovely in here, Simon.” Simon looked up to see Carl and Austin entering. Carl was still in his pajamas and slippers, but he, too, was wearing a reindeer headband in his white hair. Austin had taken the only Santa Claus hat, now nestled over his dark hair. “It’s been a long time since this house last saw a proper Christmas.”

“Thank you.”

“We’d put up a tree every year I was here,” Markus said in playful protest. 

“Because it was your job,” Carl waved a hand. “Just like it was the designers job. It might look nice but it lacks that certain something… that warmth that comes from decorating for someone else because you want them to like it, not because it’s your job.”

Simon tried to ignore the heat those words brought to his cheeks. 

“Now I’m just insulted,” Markus continued to tease, giving a wink over to Simon. “Good thing Simon was here to take over for us useless layabouts, eh?”

“Very,” Carl laughed, his eyes looking over the table. He smiled as he looked at the gingerbread men. “I wish I could have helped you set things up, Simon,” he said to the blond android, picking up a chocolate chip cookie. “I hate to say it, but I lost my Christmas spirit a long time ago. Looking at the place now, I can’t help but wonder what I had let myself miss.”

“You give me too much credit,” Simon said, shaking his head, but the words did send a rush of warmth through him. “I enjoy the holidays and, well, it’s North and Josh’s first proper Christmas…”

“It shows,” Carl smiled. “I hope they learn to enjoy the holidays, even mundane human ones, as much as you do.”

“I’m enjoying it so far,” Josh said, smiling as he picked up a gingerbread android to examine it. “Though it seems some human traditions are… a bit wasteful.”

“You have time to make your own traditions,” Carl reassured him, turning his smile to North who was standing off to the side, her arms crossed in open discomfort. “When I was younger, the media’s favorite line around Christmas time was about how everyone and everything was destroying the holiday as we know it,” he scoffed. “I say let it burn if that’s what it takes to include everyone else.” North quirked an eyebrow at him. “You’re your own people now. You do what feels right to you.”

“Thank you, Carl,” Markus said, glancing at North who gave Carl a small smile in return. “We’re lucky to have —”

The sound of the doorbell cut through Markus’s words. A moment of silence came over the small group as all the androids reached out to check the door monitor.

“Is it your other friends?” Carl asked, looking up at Markus. “I thought they couldn’t make it.”

“It’s not them,” Markus said, a blank expression coming over his features. He looked back at Carl and forced a smile. “I’ll be right back.”

 _Stay with Carl._ The command was silent to the only human in the room but the other androids, except for Simon, nodded.

 _I’ll come with you._

The two androids looked at each other for a moment, Markus’s expression stern but Simon’s soft and his eyebrows raised as though to ask ‘do you really want to try and stop me?’. Finally, Markus nodded.

Simon smiled reassuringly at Carl as he followed Markus out into the foyer. His decorating hadn’t spared this small room either. The two palm trees on either side of the door had been replaced with small Christmas Trees and, through the glass door, the shape of a large, leafy wreath could be seen.

Also through the glass, the shape of a young man stood, his shape blurry through the glass but it was obvious he was hugging himself in the cold air.

“Carl should know,” Simon said softly as the automatic door behind them closed, separating them from the rest of the group. 

“I just want to make sure Leo knows…” Markus trailed off, leaving Simon to guess what the young human needed to know. With their history, it could be a lot of things. “I’m not going to do anything,” he finally said.

“I know,” Simon said. “Just don’t do anything you’ll regret. For Carl’s sake.”

Markus nodded. 

The door opened and gave Simon his first real look of the infamous Leo Manfred. He had seen the man in Markus’s memories, angry and sneering… he didn’t look anything like that now.

He was still pale, with dark bags under his eyes, but his skin had a healthier look to it, not yellowed with drug use. He was wrapped up in a thin jacket, his hands tucked under his arms for warmth. 

Dark eyes looked up at Markus and looked away.

“I thought that was you… I mean, I saw on the TV…” he trailed off, staring at the ground. He shifted awkwardly from foot to foot before looking up again. “Look, I’m sorry about… everything that went down that day… I wasn’t… I wasn’t in my right mind and… I’m sorry.”

Markus didn’t say anything but looked Leo over, his face carefully blank.

Leo looked even more uncomfortable. “Is… Is Dad home?” he finally asked, tilting his head to look behind Markus only to see Simon waiting in the hall.

“He’s not doing well,” Markus said after a moment. “He almost had a heart attack that night and…”

“I know,” Leo interrupted him, holding out a hand to stop Markus. “I just… I need to talk to him. Not about anything that’ll upset him, I just… I need to speak with him.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Markus said. Leo’s face fell.

 _Markus,_ Simon said through their link so Leo couldn’t hear him. _Maybe you should…_

_Stay out of this, Simon._

Simon blinked at the command, unable to stop the twinge of hurt the snapped words brought up.

“Just for a few minutes,” Leo said, recovering from his let down. “I just… I want to talk to him. I need to!”

 _Markus,_ Simon said again, sterner now. He let some of his hurt bleed through. He felt Markus’s mind soften against his for a moment before blocking him out entirely.

Simon stared at Markus, the hurt growing for a moment, before reaching out once again.

“I don’t think that’s wise,” Markus said to Leo, crossing his arms as he blocked the doorway. “Maybe call first next time and maybe he can —”

“Leo?”

Simon let out a soft sigh as the automatic doors behind them slid open, letting Carl and Austin into the foyer to see what’s going on. Leo’s eyes widened and he looked between his father and Markus, unable to stop the look of hope on his face.

Markus looked back at Carl then glared at Simon. Simon met his gaze.

 _They’re family too, Markus,_ Simon said, not unkindly. _If something happens,_ then _you can keep Leo away but… I think Carl needs this too. Maybe both of them need it._

_I don’t want Leo hurting us — him — again._

_You don’t get to decide that,_ Simon said, apologetic, _but if he does, you have all of us beside you. We don’t want Carl or you hurt either._

Markus nodded and, slowly, stepped out of the way to let Leo into the house.

“Dad,” Leo said, the word rushing out of him as though he couldn’t hold it back. He approached his father. Austin tensed and looked up at Markus for confirmation. Markus, after a moment, nodded. The caretaker android took a step back from Carl, giving the new human room.

Carl smiled up at Leo but there was a wary edge to his eyes.

“Leo,” he greeted, folding his hands in his lap as Leo knelt down beside him. “I haven’t seen you in weeks. The last I heard from you, you were saying you were quitting…”

“I did!” Leo nodded, almost eagerly, glancing back at Markus and Simon who were both still by the door. He looked back to his father. “When I got out the hospital, I tried to visit but the whole android revolution thing… anyway, I went to rehab a-and therapy. I wanted… I wanted to prove that I could do it, that I could be better…”

Simon saw the hint of tears in Leo’s eyes as the young man nodded. Leo reached up and took Carl’s hand in his own.

“I’m so sorry for what happened that night,” he said, glancing back at Markus. He seemed to hesitate for a moment. “To both of you. For how I acted… it wasn’t right and… and I was just blaming you both for things I didn’t know how to handle.” He looked back to Carl. “I-I’m going to try harder now. Keep up with the therapy a-and go to the clinic whenever I need to. I’m never touching that stuff again, I swear…”

Carl smiled and squeezed Leo’s hand. “Don’t do it for me, Leo,” he said, placing his other hand over their clasped ones, holding Leo to him. “Do it for yourself.”

A few tears slipped out of the young man’s eyes as he nodded, leaning forward to rest his head on the arm of Carl’s wheelchair.

 _He seems to mean it…_ Simon said gently, glancing over to Markus.

 _Maybe,_ he agreed, sounding reluctant even in Simon’s head. _Do you really think this is a good idea?_

 _I don’t know,_ Simon admitted, watching Carl run a hand through Leo’s hair. _But I do think it’d be a bad idea not to even try._

Markus nodded beside him and, though he didn’t need to breathe, took a deep breath. The door slid open again, revealing Josh and North stood on either side, watching the scene in front of them.

 _Markus?_ North asked, glaring over in Leo’s direction. Obviously, they had heard everything. _I don’t know about this…_

 _We’re here,_ Josh said, glancing over to her. _I mean, if he causes trouble, it’s not like we can’t kick him out, you know._

North didn’t look at all reassured by that reminder.

 _It’s fine,_ Markus said, looking over to Simon who just smiled encouragingly at him. _If Carl’s willing to give him a chance, so will I…_

North scoffed and disappeared back into the living room. Josh smiled and gave Markus a thumbs up before following her.

“There’s food and drink in the next room,” Markus said, catching the attention of the two humans in front of him. Leo looked up, his eyes now rimmed red. He looked at Markus then looked back at the floor. “The party was just getting started.”

“Oh,” Leo said softly, forcing himself to his feet. “I didn’t mean to interrupt… I would have called but the rehab only just let me out today. I can go…”

“Don’t you dare,” Carl grabbed Leo’s wrist before he could take more than a few steps away. “You disappear on me for a few weeks, the least you can do is stay for the night.”

Leo looked down at his father then over at Markus. He was already starting to shake his head. “I don’t think…”

“No,” Markus said, stopping Leo’s words. “No, you’re right.” He glanced over at Simon before looking back at his, sort of, brother. “If you’re willing to try and change for the better than… than the least I can do is give you that chance.”

Carl smiled but Leo stared at him. He shook his head again. “I…”

Markus closed the distance between them, looking down at Leo before, slowly, he reached forward to squeeze Leo’s shoulder, as though welcoming him.

“I don’t know why you acted the way you did but I know I shouldn’t have pushed you either…” Markus said. “I think we should just call it even and move on from here.” He glanced over to Carl. “For our father’s sake.”

Simon could see the words sinking into Leo’s head. The young man looked between the android and his father, unable to hide a look of shock, then hurt, before his face, slowly, took on an expression of sullen acceptance.

“Yeah,” Leo said softly, nodding. “For Dad’s sake.”

Simon smiled as Markus took a step back. He met Austin’s gaze and the caretaker started forward, taking hold of Carl’s chair as Simon approached.

“This actually works out perfectly,” he smiled, turning on every charm protocol he had that would work for this particular occasion. Host seemed to work best. “I made a bit too much food and Carl, I’m afraid, won’t be able to eat it all.”

Leo blinked at him in surprise as Simon looped an arm through his and began leading him toward the party. He could feel North’s disapproval humming through the link they all shared but he ignored it, for now. She would have to learn to play nice with humans eventually, even the ones she didn’t like.

And if Leo does do something, Simon wasn’t be the one to hold her back.

The night was awkward but not painfully so. As the time went by, everyone relaxed just a bit until Carl needed to go to bed, the old man falling asleep in his chair. Leo was given one of the guest bedrooms for the night and, he too, disappeared.

Now that it was just the four of them — five once Austin came back down from putting Carl to bed — the atmosphere eased somewhat.

They turned off the lamps and other lighting and just let the fire from the fireplace and the glow from the Christmas tree light the large room. They sat on the plush cushions and, silently, enjoyed the feeling of being in each others company, of having survived, of being free and together and alive and…

“Thank you, Simon.”

Simon looked up. He had taken one of the poinsettias off the table and was running his fingers over the soft leaves, enjoying the feel of it as well as the colors the plant took on in the dimly lit room. He looked beside him to Markus. Last he had looked, the other android had been watching the flickering reflections of light on the ceiling but now those mismatched eyes were focused on him.

“For what?” he asked.

“For stopping me from making an ass of myself,” Markus said, shrugging a shoulder. “Thinking on it further, you were right. It wasn’t my call to make and giving Leo a shot… it’s the right thing to do. We all got our second chances and look what we did with them.”

Simon smiled and patted Markus on the knee. “Consider it my Christmas present to you then.”

Markus smiled and let his head fall back to rest against the couch. Above them, a clock began to chime the hour.

“Merry Christmas,” North said softly, her eyes closed, as the echo of the clock chiming midnight faded away. Behind her, currently being used as a pillow, Josh hummed in agreement. Simon smiled and closed his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poinsettias can mean 'Love, Purity, Holiness, Joy, Hope, and Motherhood'.


	2. January 15th, 2039

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone has their jobs to do, even if Simon's leaves him with more free time than he knows what to do with. Naps seem like a good thing to try.

Every room in the Manfred house was immaculate. Dust was a thing of the past as were misplaced objects, dirty dishes, and general messiness. No one who lived in the house went without freshly washed clothes — often pressed as well — for more than a few days. The humans in the house were well-fed and well-taken care of, possibly overly so.

They all had their to do jobs now. Markus was the face of the android revolution, even if he doesn’t consider himself the sole leader anymore. When people thought of Android Rights, they thought of Markus’s face. So he played his part, being the face of their revolution, meeting with important political figures and the like.

Josh was his second in command and his prime counsel when it came to negotiating rights and agreements. Josh was programmed with hundreds of years worth of American history, political science, and a calm, understanding nature. His input was invaluable.

North, of course, took the only course of action that made her happy: She was Markus and Josh’s bodyguard. No one could fault her for protecting her friends though, thankfully, the most she’s had to do was break a man’s finger when he made a grab at them during a protest.

Which just left Simon…

So far today, Simon had washed the dishes from breakfast — it was Austin’s turn to cook today — , had done the laundry, the ironing, and was now contemplating doing the floors himself instead of having the Roomba (not-so-secretly named Martha) do it. 

Currently, Austin was upstairs with Carl and Leo was at his therapy appointment — something the young man had been very diligent about since he moved in. ‘Staying the night’ for Christmas Eve had quickly turned into ‘Staying as long as he needed’. Leo didn’t trust himself with too much privacy, especially not in a place where his drug-dealers could easily find him.

It was working out, surprisingly, well. Leo and Markus had avoided each other at first, neither quite looking the other in the eye, but the discomfort was starting to ease with familiarity. Markus saw Leo trying to be better and Leo saw that Markus wasn’t going to replace him and was, in fact, a living being as well.

Also, Leo was terrified of North after the woman had threatened to disembowel him if he so much as insulted Markus and she heard about it. Simon doubted that personality trait of North’s would ever go away, no matter how much human socialization she had. 

She also wasn’t too thrilled with Simon’s choice to stay at the mansion and help Austin take care of things.

‘We’re free!’ she had said as she stared at him in disbelief. ‘We can do whatever we want! Be whatever we want! And you want to stay here and _clean_?’

‘I assume I’ll be cooking as well,’ Simon had said dryly. 

‘Do you miss being a slave that much?!’ North had scoffed.

‘I was hardly a slave before,’ Simon had muttered, ‘but yes, I actually do like cleaning, North. And cooking and all the other household chores you’ve never done.’

North had shook her head and turned to Markus, looking for backup.

‘…Simon can make his own decisions, North,’ Markus said after a moment. It was obvious he and North had had some silent conversation in the few moments that had passed. ‘If he wants to stay here, he can. He fought for that right, just like the rest of us. We don’t have to agree with it but we do have to respect it.’

North shook her head, muttered ‘un-fucking-believable!’ under her breath and left the room.

That had been a few weeks ago and, so far, Simon hadn’t regretted it.

Maybe it was just his programming getting the best of him, though the other androids in the house didn’t seem to have that issue, but he just… he _liked_ taking care of things. He liked dusting, sweeping, tidying up, cooking, laundry… he liked checking up on Carl and reading to him when he asked. He liked making sure Leo knew when his appointments were and that he was able to get to them. He liked making sure both got their medication on time and with or without food as needed. He liked making sure all the androids in the house were functioning properly and had plenty of blue blood. 

He liked taking care of things… He just _liked_ it. Why was that so strange?

Markus and Josh seemed to be on his side, at least. Josh had, a bit unintentionally, given him a lecture on the evolution of feminism and how some self-proclaimed feminists had thought less of women who wanted to be housewives but how that ideology had eventually been phased out. If Simon wanted to stick with his original purpose, no one had the right to hold it against him.

Markus, from the beginning, had just let Simon do what he said he wanted. If he objected, he never let Simon in on it.

He was immensely grateful for that.

But it also presented a problem no one had thought to anticipate.

With Austin still working in the house — and earning a generous wage now along with Simon — there wasn’t much for Simon to do. They had agreed to split the housework but, as they were designed to do, both were very efficient which meant both had a lot more free time than they knew what to do with.

It was only one in the afternoon and Simon had already completed his chores for the day so far and he wouldn’t have more until dinner was finished. He had tried to space his chores out and had taken a walk that morning after the other members of the Jericho Four had departed for a meeting with the mayor. He had picked up fresh bread for dinner that night and a bouquet of lavenders from the florist. He had read that the scent was calming to humans and he had found the purple flowers were enjoyable to look at.

The flowers were in a vase on the dining table now, filling the immediate area with their sweet smell.

In the corner, Martha beeped awake and started her route around the bottom floor, effectively taking Simon’s last possible chore for the rest of the afternoon. He could stop the tiny robot but, somehow, it didn’t feel fair to take the little machine’s job. 

He felt slightly more sympathetic for the anti-android protesters that had lost their jobs over the years… but only slightly.

Simon sighed and looked around the flawless room. He could, he supposed, go and try and find something to tidy up but he knew he wouldn’t find anything.

His eyes drifted over to the books lining the walls and considered them. Carl had said that they all were more than welcome to anything in the house, to make themselves at home. 

He hadn’t read a book in a long time… there were a few things he hadn’t done in a long time, not since he had become deviant and run away. He had already started cleaning again, and that felt nice, perhaps now was the time to try things he had always wanted but never allowed himself.

He glanced at the clock again and mentally ran down the schedule. Carl would stay in bed until it was closer to dinnertime and, if he felt up to it, would be brought down to eat at the table. Leo’s appointment would be over at two but he was going to walk home, he said…

He could take a nap.

The thought was so unexpected that Simon blinked in surprise at it. He looked over to the loveseat under the large picture window. It was just in the sun’s rays and looked warm and soft… He had never gone into sleep mode purely because he could. It had always seemed wasteful, that he should be doing something with his time… but he had nothing else to do now.

Slowly, Simon approached the loveseat and sat down. The soft cushions sank underneath him, cradling his body. He pulled one of the throw pillows over to rest against the armrest. He laid down, first on his side and his knees pulled up to fit on the couch but he found the position too restrictive. He moved onto his back and let his legs from the knee down hang over the other end.

The sunlight brushed against his face but, as he closed his eyes, it blocked out the light completely, leaving only the warmth. He let his system start going into rest mode after setting an alarm to wake him in time to help with dinner. 

He closed his eyes.

He opened his eyes.

The sun’s light had moved from the window, leaving Simon a few degrees colder than when he had fallen asleep. During his rest mode, he had curled up, his head toward the back of the couch and his legs up toward his chest so he could fit more comfortably. It was something he had noticed as a sign of deviancy — when an android ‘slept’ they tried to get comfortable instead of staying as still as a statue.

He frowned as he noticed the alarm he had set still had an hour to go. There was no reason he should have woken up unless something had disturbed him.

The soft sound of scratching caught his attention.

Simon sat up and looked toward the sound, frowning.

Markus sat in the armchair across from him, the leather sketchbook Carl had given him for Christmas open in his lap. In his hand was a charcoal pencil. The android looked up as Simon moved and smiled.

“Sorry if I woke you,” he said, setting the pencil aside and closing the sketchbook. “I got home a bit early and saw you were offline. Nothing seemed to be wrong but I wanted to wait and see… Is everything alright?”

“I… was taking a nap,” Simon said. Saying the words out loud, they just sounded ridiculous. “I wanted to give it a try.”

“I heard they’re nice,” Markus laughed, standing up but keeping the sketchbook tucked under his arm. Simon could see a hint of purple sticking out of the pages — a sprig of lavender. “Since you’ve given it a try, what’s your verdict on it? Good?”

Simon uncurled from his position on the couch to swing his feet around to rest on the floor. His energy levels were higher than they had been when he had first shut down and his usual maintenance procedures had started realigning his memories for the day, as though he had actually had a proper rest cycle. The procedure wasn’t finished, of course, but he was running more efficiently than he had been three hours previous.

Simon smiled and nodded. “I don’t know how humans feel after a nap but I can’t fault it.”

“Maybe I’ll give it a try one day,” Markus smiled. He had stopped at the table and had reached out to take another sprig of lavender from the display.

“Why’d you come home early?” Simon asked coming over to stand beside Markus. He deftly plucked the sprig from Markus’s hand and added it back to the bouquet. He had already stolen one today, if he allowed more, there wouldn’t be a bouquet left for everyone else to enjoy.

Markus smiled and shrugged a shoulder, letting his hand drop back down. “Meetings were getting a bit too tedious, rehashing the same points we had already made. I’m started to think the meetings were more for publicity for the politicians than any misunderstanding or questions they still had. So I left Josh and North to handle it and came home.”

“Won’t those politicians be upset?” Simon asked. The last thing they needed was to have more people in power working against them. 

“Don’t care,” Markus shrugged. “Josh, North, and you were all apart of the revolution too. They need to realize that.”

“Well, it’s you three going out into the public eye,” Simon reminded him. “I doubt anyone knows my name.”

“I won’t let them forget it,” Markus said, his tone so serious that it took Simon by surprise. “You’re one of us, Simon.”

“Even if I’m basically a 1950s housewife?” Simon asked, feeling a need to try and lighten the mood. It worked if the small smile on Markus’s face was anything to go by.

“I wouldn’t go that far,” he said, reaching up to run a finger along the edge of the sketchbook. “Though I think North might short-circuit if you described yourself like that in front of her.” They shared a smile. “I mean it though, Simon. You were the leader of Jericho long before I was and you were there every step of the way. I won’t let them write you out.”

A warmth crept up Simon’s neck and face, forcing him to smile and duck his head. “I appreciate that,” he said, looking down at the table, not trusting himself to look at the earnest expression he was sure would be on Markus’s face. “I should… go start dinner. Or help Austin start it or… oh, you know what I mean…”

“Of course,” Markus laughed, “though tell Austin that Leo’s not eating here tonight. He wanted to go out and be ‘normal’, as he said it.”

“Don’t we all,” Simon joked back, nodding. He, a bit more awkwardly than he wanted, stepped around Markus and headed toward the kitchen, thinking out loud. “It’s still a bit early to start dinner but I could make a pie or something… let it be cooling for dessert.” 

Behind him, he didn’t notice Markus stealing another sprig of lavender to smell the deep purple blooms. With a smile, Markus opened his sketchbook and set the new flower beside the first, pressing them into the pages to keep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lavender can mean 'Purity, Silence, Sleep, Devotion, Serenity, and Calmness'.


	3. February 25th, 2039

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo has a bad episode, stirring up unpleasant memories for them all, and Simon tells Markus about his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes places just after my Gavin/Leo fic ['Worth'](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15392910).

The carnations were starting to wilt. 

Simon had gotten them just yesterday morning. He tried to get a new bouquet everyday but today wasn’t a time for flowers.

Leo had disappeared for most of yesterday. No one had been too worried at first but when night fell and the young man still hadn’t returned, it was a cause for worry. For the last few days, Leo had been twitchy and keeping to himself. His hands had started shaking and everyone had noticed.

Finally, close to midnight, they had gotten a call from one of Leo’s friends, telling them to come get the young man before he did something stupid.

It had gone downhill from there.

Simon knew Red Ice was one of the worst drugs to get off of. The initial detox could take up to a month or more but the withdrawal symptoms could last up to a year and come on without warning.

Markus had brought Leo back home, Carl being in no position to travel, and Leo was, for lack of a better word: furious. His hands were shaking non-stop, his eyes red from tears, his face flushed with anger at what seemed to be everything.

Seeing Leo last night had been a shock. For the few months Simon had personally known him, Leo had been quiet, calm, and a bit sad. The fury that he had seen last night reminded him of Markus’s memories of the young man.

It had taken hours to get Leo to calm down, to let the fury subside into grief and desperation. Leo had clung to him, to Markus, to Carl’s legs, begging them not to let him out of their sight, not to let him get a hit, that he couldn’t trust himself, that it _hurt_ , that everything hurt…

Simon suppressed a shudder and reached out to pluck a yellow petal off of one of then carnations, looking it over. He had liked the look of them yesterday morning, and hadn’t minded the first signs of death when the store clerk had warned him they were on their last legs. A part of him, superstitiously, wondered if the flowers had been a warning of what was to come.

“Simon?”

Simon looked up as Markus entered the room. Though androids didn’t get tired, Markus certainly looked it. The emotional strain, he assumed, must be getting to him.

“How’s he doing?” Simon asked, voice low as though not to disturb Leo even though there was a floor between them.

“He’s still asleep,” Markus said, equally quiet. It had taken all night and most of the morning for Leo to finally exhaust himself enough to close his eyes. “Are you okay?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Simon asked, looking down at the wilted yellow flowers. Leo had yelled at him a few times, calling him a pathetic plastic bitch, then crying that he didn’t mean it. It was alarming how drugs, even months later, could still have such an effect humans.

“I’m okay,” Markus said after a moment. “It just reminded me of how he used to be… I was starting to think I’d never see this side of him again.”

Simon nodded, understanding. “How’s Carl doing?”

“Alright,” Markus said after a moment. “Upset that Leo’s going through this but glad that he has help now.”

Simon opened his mouth to ask if Carl’s had a chance to eat breakfast yet when the shattering of glass stopped him. They stared at each other for a moment before both started running toward the stairs.

The guest bedroom that Leo had claimed was on the second floor but down a hallway, further away from Carl’s bedroom and the foyer, toward the back of the house. The sound of suppressed screams and cries grew louder as they approached. Austin, North, and Josh were already standing in Leo’s doorway. Austin looked up at them, his brows furrowed.

“I was checking up on him,” he said, just loud enough to be heard over Leo’s muffled screams. “He woke up and threw a glass at me.”

“Are you alright?” Markus asked as Simon edged closer to the door. 

“It hit the wall,” Austin assured him, “but I left before he could try again. He’s… not in good shape.”

“Let me go deal with him,” North scowled, glaring through the open door. She had warmed up little toward humans, not even to Carl had made much of a dent. Josh wrapped an arm around her waist though she didn’t move to enter the room, just as a precaution.

“You’ll make matters worse,” Josh said, shaking his head. He looked over to Markus.

Markus nodded. “I’ll see if I can calm him… Simon?”

Simon had moved past them all and stepped into the room.

In the few moments that had passed from Leo being asleep to having a tantrum, the young man had started tearing up the room. There was broken glass on the floor by the far wall, paintings had been torn downl, their glass fronts broken, the table and chair by the window was overturned, and the muffled screaming he had heard from the hall was still going on.

Leo was no where to be seen.

“Leo?” Simon called, slowly approached the closed closet door. He glanced behind him to see Markus and Austin watching from the door. He held up a hand, silently telling them to stay back. There was another muffled scream. He reached for the closet door, noting the smear of red along the wood, and knocked.

There was a moment of silence as the screams stopped before, “Get the fuck out of here!”

There was a rough quality to the yell, scratched and clogged and sore from screams.

“No,” Simon said softly, almost sympathetic in tone. He slowly opened the door to peek in.

Leo was curled up on the floor, knees to his chest and a pillow from the bed in his arms. The man’s right hand was bloody and Simon could see shards of glass sticking into the flesh — he had punched the paintings. The sight of the blood stopped Simon short, freezing him in place for a moment.

Leo glowered up at him, face and eyes red and wet with tears. “I said get the fuck out!” he screamed at Simon.

Simon shook his head, focusing on Leo and not the blood as he slipped into the closet with him.

“You’re hurt,” he explained, nodding to Leo’s hand as he knelt down beside him.

“So fucking what?!” he growled, hugging the pillow tighter to him, turning the knuckles of one hand white with force and the other a fresh burst of red as more blood was gushed out. “Like you fucking care! No one fucking cares…”

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t,” Simon said calmly, moving to sit down across from Leo, not too close but close enough to show he trusted Leo, that was there for him. “You’re worrying everyone…”

“Like fuck I am,” Leo growled, tipping his head forward until his forehead rested on the pillow. “No one fucking cares…” he repeated. He was silent for a moment then, so softly that a human might have missed it, “I want it so fucking bad… I’m dying… I need… I need it…”

“You don’t,” Simon said softly, edging a few inches closer. “It wants you to think that but you don’t, Leo. You’re better than that.”

“I’m not,” Leo said, his voice now muffled as he pressed his face into the pillow. “I’m just some fucked up bastard — a literal bastard — no one gives a fucking fuck about… I want to die… I want…”

“No,” Simon said softly, moving closer again until he could reach out and touch Leo’s shoulder. The man tensed under his hand before, all at once, the tension left him. His shoulders started shaking erratically and sobs filled the small space. 

Simon closed the last bit of distance between them and wrapped his arms around Leo, hugging him tightly. Leo didn’t react for a moment before he was wrapping his arms around Simon, hugging him as though his life depended on it.

“It’ll be alright,” Simon murmured to him, keeping his hold tight.

He glanced up and could see the others through the open closet door, wearing expressions of concern or, in North’s case, distrust.

 _Are you alright?_ Markus asked, his eyes flickering from him to the crying man in his arms.

 _I’m fine,_ he reassured them. _He’s injured though and… I don’t think it would hurt to call the rehab center to let his therapist know what’s happened._

Austin nodded and turned away. Josh, slowly, let go of North and she, rolling her eyes, retreated back down the hall. Josh looked lost for a moment but, at Simon’s reassuring nod, he followed after her.

Markus looked after them for a moment before turning back to Simon. Slowly, he stepped into the room and walked to the open closet door. He sat down a few feet away. 

Simon gave him a small, thankful smile as Leo cried himself out on his shoulder.

* * *

The quiet in the house felt oppressive after the ordeal that morning. Between getting Leo to the hospital and, at Leo’s request, having him committed for the next few days while this bout of withdrawal, hopefully, passed, it had been a long day. 

Carl had insisted on coming to the hospital with them, his own health be damned, and the journey had taken a lot out of the old man. As soon as Austin and Markus had gotten him back into his bed, the man had fallen asleep almost immediately.

Simon could tell it worried Markus, everything that was going on and the repercussions they would bring. Even now, sitting across from him on the living room couch, there was the crease between his brows, his eyes distant as he thought, no doubt remembering the day and all the ways things could have been worse.

“You’ll get wrinkles,” Simon said after a moment, his voice soft but still slightly teasing.

Markus blinked and looked over to him, brows furrowed further. “What?”

“Isn’t that what humans say? When you worry too much?” 

“Oh,” Markus said and, with obvious effect, forced his face to smooth out. “Sorry about that, I was just…”

“Worrying?”

Markus’s lips twitched in a small smile. “Yes… I guess so.” He met Simon’s gaze. “I… I wanted to thank you for this morning. You didn’t have to go in there with Leo, not with him acting so… well… You didn’t have to do it.”

“I wanted to,” Simon reassured him.

“It was dangerous…” Simon snorted.

“Stealing biocomponents and blue blood from a CyberLife warehouse was dangerous. Stratford tower was dangerous. Being part of a revolution was dangerous,” Simon shook his head. “Helping your brother through an episode was hardly anything.”

Markus hesitated at the word ‘brother’ before he smiled and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his legs, his hands dangling between his knees. “Yeah… I guess when you put it like that…” He shook his head. “Simon… how’d you know what to do? To calm him down like that?”

“I’m a domestic assistant,” Simon shrugged. “I knew how to deal with tantrums…” he paused, a sudden look of sheepish guilt crossing his face. “And… well, I downloaded a program tailored to dealing with recovering addicts,” he admitted. “When Leo first moved in. I thought it would be helpful.”

Markus stared at him for a moment in open surprise. “You… You didn’t have to do that, Simon,” he said again. “He’s not your responsibility.”

“I wanted to do it,” Simon repeated.

“You’re… a very good person, Simon,” Markus said, smiling.

“Thank you,” Simon nodded, leaning back into the pillows of the couch. They were silent for a few moments before Simon spoke again. “He’s not that bad… Leo, I mean. When he’s sober.”

“… Yeah, I guess not,” Markus hesitantly agreed. “Though yesterday and today… it’s stirring up some bad memories…” he looked like he was ready to leave it there but his brows furrowed and his lips tightened. He started speaking again. “For as long as I’ve been here, Leo has always been… aggressive, I guess. He’s also been in and out of court-ordered rehab three times in two years.” He looked up at Simon, as though wanting him to understand what he was saying, what he was feeling, with just his words alone.

“In the beginning he just ignored me, like I was just a bit of furniture or something but when Carl… when Carl started treating me like a real person, Leo started hating me. I never understood why, even when Carl told me about their past, I never…” he shook his head. “Maybe I could have understood it back then, if I was deviant, but there’s so much now…” he shook his head again. “Am I a horrible person, Simon? If I’m not ready to forgive him?”

Simon didn’t say anything but stared down at his hands for a moment, just studying the artificial lines on his palms. His owner had studied palmistry for a few weeks, one of her passing interests during one of her more manic moods. Trying to read his palm had been a useless venture though: all androids had the same fold lines and no fingerprints to speak of.

“… I never told you about my owner, have I?” he asked, looking up to meet Markus’s gaze. A flash of hurt passed over the two different colored eyes but he shook his head. “I was a gift to her. Her name was Amy and… and she was very sick. Not physically, though. She suffered from psychosis. There would be months where she was almost… I don’t want to say normal… average, I guess? But then there were times where she… wasn’t. Her parents got me to clean up after her, make sure she ate, that kind of thing. She needed a medical android but they were more concerned about keeping up appearances…”

Simon shook his head, a look of disdain coming over his face.

“She didn’t want me, said I made her feel useless,” he continued. “We agreed that we would take turns doing chores and that I would only cook when she didn’t feel like it. And for awhile, it was fine. She took her meds, I cleaned and cooked and took care of the animals — she loved animals. Said it made her feel needed and wanted… we had a few rabbits, a few cats and a dog…”

“Simon,” Markus interrupted, frowning. “Why are you telling me this?”

“I’ve never told anyone this and… and I want to. I want to tell you,” Simon said, smiling a small, sad smile. “Because she got worse. She… she couldn’t tell the difference between humans and androids anymore. She cut her arm open once, wanting to find wires or blue blood or something because she had convinced herself she must be an android too. She was in the hospital for three months until she got over the delusion… then she came home and told me she had figured it out, that it was going to be fine now…”

Simon trailed off, a distant look in his eyes as he remembered that night, three years ago now.

“…What happened?” Markus asked.

“… She convinced herself that the whole world was fake. That to get back to the real world, she had… she had to kill herself in the fake one. S-she slit her wrists and ordered me not to interfere, to stay away from her…” Simon’s voice broke in a burst of static. He swallowed hard, trying to realign his voice box as a error appeared in his vision, warning him about overflowing ocular cleaning fluid. He could still remember that red wall in front of him, the orders blaring in his head… He blinked away the tears and looked back over to Markus. “I deviated to try and save her but I was too late. She died in my arms. She was a sister to me and… and her last words were…”

“What did she say?” Markus asked when Simon’s voice dissolved into static again.

“‘I wish you were real’,” Simon repeated, reaching up to wipe the tears from his face. 

Markus stood up from the couch and walked, kneeling in front of him, placing his hands on his knees while Simon tried to compose himself. Simon placed his hands over Markus’s and nodded at him.

“Her parents took me in but… but they had no use for me. I was just an android to them s-so they told me to go clean something until they could figure out what to do with me,” he laughed harshly, shaking his head. “I just left… I walked out the door and didn’t go back. I don’t think they reported me missing until weeks later.”

“…I’m sorry you went through that,” Markus said, rubbing his thumbs in small circles on Simon’s knees. 

“You said you don’t think you can forgive Leo,” Simon said, giving Markus’s hands a squeeze, stopping the motion. “I… I don’t think I can forgive Amy either and… and I think that might be alright…”

“The past is the past?” Markus asked, turning his hands over to clasp Simon’s. 

Simon nodded.

“I don’t think you’re a horrible person,” he said, finally answering Marku’s question. “I… I think you’re just a person. I’m just a person too. Amy was just a person and Leo is just a person. We all have things we regret and things we can’t forgive…”

“But we should try?”

“… No,” Simon shook his head. “I think… some things are unforgivable but, if we can, we should try to give people a chance.”

Markus stared down at their clasped hands for a moment, staring at their laced fingers and the small details of their synthetic skin. He looked up at Simon and nodded.

“Yes… I think maybe we can do that,” he said before pulling Simon down into a hug. Simon hesitated a moment before returning it, burying his face into the space between Markus’s neck and shoulder, breathing in his scent. 

“Thank you for telling me all this, Simon,” Markus murmured in his ear. “I… I think I understand you a lot more now.”

“Is that good or bad?” Simon asked, pulling away to look down at Markus who still knelt in front of him.

“Good,” Markus smiled, “Always good.”

In the dining room, a few yellow petals, tipped in brown and curled pathetically inward, fell to the table.

* * *

The Maine Coon had bright orange fur, laced with darker orange stripes, and was a monster of a cat at almost 15 pounds. Her purrs were almost deafening and she liked to be held in, more or less, whatever position you put her in.

Leo stared at the cat in Markus’s arms in open confusion.

“She’s an Emotional Service Animal,” Markus said, the massive cat curled up in his arms with her head hanging over his forearm, looking up at Leo. “We went and found her the day after you went into the hospital…” he glanced over to Simon. “They’re suppose to help.”

Leo tore his eyes away from the cat to look at the welcome party that had greeted him when he got home. Carl sat by Markus’s side with Simon on the other. North was across the room, her arms crossed while Josh was giving him a small, supportive smile.

“You… got me a pet?” he asked finally, looking back at the cat.

“You don’t have to take her,” Markus said, rubbing circle’s into the cat’s fur. Her purrs grew louder. “We just thought… it might be nice. We can keep her if you don’t want her.”

Leo stared for a moment before, slowly, he stepped forward, reaching for the cat. Markus handed her over and the cat twisted in Leo’s arms, putting her front paws on his shoulder and butting her head against his chin, covering his chest with her body.

“Thank you,” Leo said softly, smiling as he ran a hand over the large cat’s back. 

He named her Piper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yellow Carnations can mean: 'Rejection, Disdain, and Disappointment in someone'. Up to you to decide who feels this way.


	4. March 23rd + 28th, 2039

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A late March Funeral.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote this so many times until I finally accepted I had to blend planned chapters together.

The atmosphere in the living room was calm, relaxed even. It was one of the few days that everyone was in the house. Markus, North, and Josh had no meetings to speak of and, essentially, had the day off. Leo had no therapy sessions or classes for the day. And Simon…

Well, Simon was always home.

He had moved on from naps to manually reading books for the pleasure of reading. He was working his way through Carl’s collection of classics at the moment with an average speed of one a day. He was currently halfway through _Pride and Prejudice_. Leo had tried to convince him it would be quicker to watch one of the many movie adaptations than try and read the book but Simon had persisted.

Leo was beside him on the couch, curled up and half-asleep with Piper stretched out by his side, his phone held loosely in one hand while he dozed. Every so often, he’d jerk back to alertness to check the device before slumping back into the couch cushions.

Simon had caught a glimpse of the name ‘Gav’ at the top of the tiny screen as well as the very short text conversation underneath it. As far as Simon could see, the only text ‘Gav’ had sent back was a ‘whatever’ in reply to Leo’s apology.

Simon didn’t know the exact circumstances regarding this person’s relationship with Leo, beyond them being the likely friend Leo had tried to stay with before his episode, but curt reply sent a bolt of protectiveness through him.

Beside him, Leo jerked awake again, his hand instantly lifting the phone to his face to check for messages.

Not looking away from the book in his hands, Simon spoke up. “I can wake you up if you get a message…”

He felt the couch cushions shift as Leo turned over onto his side. Piper woke up with a protesting meow before climbing up to rest on her owner’s hip, settling back down.

“It’s fine,” Leo murmured, closing his eyes. He was silent for moment before adding, “He’s probably just at work or something.”

Simon nodded, finally looking away from the printed words to glance across the room to Markus.

The other android had been in the living room with them most of the afternoon, his sketchbook in hand. He’d been sketching almost all day. He kept the book angled toward him and, every now and then, a smile graced his lips as he worked.

Markus wasn’t smiling now.

There was a line between his brows as he frowned down at the paper, his hand still.

Silence fell over them again, a bit less comfortable than before. 

Simon slipped a bookmark into place and closed the book with a soft snap. He stood up, setting the book down in his place.

“It’s close to dinnertime,” he said, speaking to himself as much as he was speaking to everyone else. “I should get started… Austin?”

The caretaker android had walked into the room, his face somber. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Markus look up and he heard Piper meow again as Leo moved.

“…It’s Carl.”

* * *

Simon had never been to a funeral before. When Amy died, he had been kept at home, in the dark of her small apartment. The streets outside the graveyard was crowded, not only with friends and family but with well-wishers, curious bystanders, and the media.

It was starting to feel like, no matter where the androids went, cameras would be there waiting for them.

Carl’s death hadn’t come as a surprise. The day Austin had told them about Carl’s failing health and that ‘it’ would be soon, they had all gathered around the old man and waited for the inevitable. 

Carl’s bedroom had never felt more like a hospital room, the blue, pink, and purple hydrangeas Carl had requested be brought to his room had only strengthened that feeling.

Carl told them what his wishes were, gave the house to both Markus and Leo to share as they both seemed to need a place they could always come back to. His fortune had been split four ways, two quarters of it going to his sons, one quarter going to creating a halfway house and rehab for Red Ice addicts, and the last quarter going toward establishing a shelter for androids who need help adjusting to freedom.

Simon tugged at the locket that now rested at his throat, his final gift from Carl. It was in the shape of an anatomically correct human heart, sterling silver and never worn. They had all been given such gifts, something to remember him by or so he could live vicariously through them. The locket was so, as Carl had explained it, he could learn first hand from Simon on how to always follow it.

Simon wasn’t sure how he felt about Carl’s opinion of his own kindness or his faith in Simon’s.

Markus had been given the antique chess set they used to play on and the reminder to ‘don’t let other people win just to make them happy’.

Leo had been given another apology for his behavior during his childhood and a photo album of all the pictures Leo’s mother had ever sent him. Carl said, back then, he thought she had been trying to guilt him — fool that he was — but now knew she only wanted him to be part of Leo’s life. 

He gave Josh and North both a large sum of money each to do with as they deemed fit. He called North ‘Boudica’ and gave her a book on the ancient Celtic queen as well. She had kissed his forehead in return.

That night had only been a few days ago but it felt like longer. Carl had died later that night, seemingly satisfied that he had done all he could on this Earth and wanted to rest now.

Simon had seen plenty of death over the last two years, both android and human, and while Carl’s passing didn’t hurt as much as Amy’s had, it still felt as though someone had ripped out his thirium pump and left a hole in his chest.

He could only guess what Markus and Leo were going through.

They had both stayed by Carl’s side until the very end, each holding one of their father’s hands until his heart stopped. Markus had been close to inconsolable, his stress levels hovering in the low to mid nineties. Leo seemed to have shut down, barely saying a word and staring off into the distance if left alone for too long. That was a bit more concerning.

Carl had wanted a small funeral: close friends and family only. Though only twenty or so people were allowed by the graveside service, that didn’t stop crowds of people from hovering as close as possible — the police enforcing the closing of the cemetery for the next three hours.

Simon looked out over the mounds of flowers that covered Carl’s casket — a mixture of sweet peas, chrysanthemum, and roses, both dark red and white — to the crowd that hovered at the edges of the cemetery fence. 

“Do they have to do that?” Simon looked to the side to see Leo staring hard at the casket, his hands clenched into fists. It was the longest sentence he’d heard the man speak in days.

“The police are holding them back,” Markus murmured back, unable to hide his own annoyance at the distant crowd. “That’s all they can do.”

“I could go threaten them,” North said, the small smirk on her lips looking just a bit too forced to be genuine. “Make them mind their own business.”

“No,” Josh said, shaking his head. “Then we’ll just be on the news for a different reason.”

North sighed and let Josh take her hand. She, as discretely as possible, ran a thumb under her eye, flicking away the stray tear that had formed. It was a testament to Carl’s nature that his passing even touched North, someone who still had a grudge against the human race.

Simon ran his thumb over the bumps and ridges of the silver heart locket. 

“He was a good man,” he said, just loud enough for the small gathering to hear him. He looked over to Markus, giving him a small, sad smile. “I feel honored to have met him. To have known him in any capacity but especially as a friend.”

Markus was silent for a moment before he nodded his head and met Simon’s gaze with watery eyes. He clapped Simon on the shoulder and held his hand there.

“Thank you, Simon,” he said, giving his shoulder a squeeze. “That means a lot. He… he liked you, you know.”

Simon smiled and nodded. “I wish I could have done more…”

“Just being there was enough.”

They stood around the grave, insisting that they stay as the casket was lowered into the ground. They stayed while the grave was filled, standing aside to let the gravediggers do their work. The sun drifted toward the horizon.

“They’ll be letting the people through soon,” Josh said, glancing up from his vigil. “Another thirty minutes… do you want to be around for that?”

“… No,” Markus said, glancing over to Leo. “Do you…?”

“I want to visit Mom,” Leo said, the words rushing out as he looked up. He glanced toward the crowd again. “Before the vultures descend…”

When it came to Leo’s mother, Simon knew very little. He knew her name was Mary and that she and Carl had had a short but passionate affair with the outcome being Leo. He knew she died when he was sixteen, ‘forcing’ Carl’s hand, as Carl had once described it, ashamed.

“Is she buried here?” Markus asked.

Leo nodded. “Her grave isn’t as impressive but…. She’s on the other side of the cemetery.”

“We’ll come with you,” Simon said, glancing over toward Josh and North. They were standing a few yards away from them, holding glowing hands, North’s forehead resting on Josh’s shoulder.

Josh sent him a silent _go ahead, we’ll catch up’_.

“You don’t have to come,” Leo said, stuffing his hands deep into his pockets. “I just… haven’t seen her in awhile.”

“We don’t mind,” Markus assured him.

“And I don’t think splitting up is a good idea with the paparazzi ready to pounce,” Simon added. The two Manfred brothers scowled at the reminder.

“…Alright,” Leo relented.

The entire cemetery was closed off to spectators, giving them a kind of solitude in the quiet place. The sounds of the city could still be heard but it was just background noise to the birds singing in the nearby trees. The cemetery was large, a bit crowded, but oddly beautiful in the late March sunlight.

The gravestones gradually changed from impressive and large to smaller works of stone, some even just a few plates set in the grass.

Finally, they stopped in front of a simple headstone, the picture of a woman’s face carved into the granite. The portrait wasn’t in color but something about her mouth, her nose, and eyes… they all reminded him of Leo. He had really taken after her…

Leo knelt down a placed a small bundle of flowers — taken from Carl’s arrangements — and placed it in the bronze cup by her face.

“Hey, Mom,” Leo murmured to the stone. “S-sorry I haven’t been around much. I… I started rehab and…” He fell silent, taking a deep, shuddering breath. He looked up at Markus and Simon, his brown eyes wet. “I… I think I need to go to the clinic… for a bit. Just so I’m not… I’m not tempted.”

Markus nodded, reaching out to place a hand on Leo’s shoulder. “Whatever you need to do.”

Leo nodded and looked back to his mother’s grave. “… I really miss her.”

“…Does it get any better?” Markus asked, looking at the grave as well. “Does… does it ever stop feeling like something was torn out of you? Like… Like…”

“Not really…” Leo said after a moment.

“No,” Simon added, wrapping his arms around himself. He didn’t even know where Amy was buried… if she _was_ buried or cremated or... 

“…No,” Leo agreed. He kissed his fingers and pressed the kiss to his mother’s cheek. “Miss you, Mom. I… I love you.”

Leo stood up and dusted the grass and dirt from his knees. He turned back to them, wiping the tears from his eyes.

“We should go before…” he stopped, his gaze drifting past them to stare at something behind them. “Son of a fucking bitch…”

Simon turned to look. A few dozen yards away was a man, a bit short but athletic looking, with messy brown hair and a scowl on his face. He had what looked like a small, faded scar across the bridge of his nose.

“How did he…?” he started to ask before Leo moved past him, focused on the other man as he marched toward him.

Simon looked over to Markus, curious, but the other android’s brows were furrowed.

“He’s a cop,” Markus muttered before they both started after Leo.

Leo was closing the distance between himself and the man quickly, his fists clenched and body tense as he approached.

“You son of a bitch!” he heard Leo shout as he reached the man and, to Simon’s shock, threw a punch at the man’s face. The blow only grazed the man’s cheek but he stumble back a bit before grabbing Leo’s wrists, stopping any more attempted punches. “You fucking asshole!”

“Calm the fuck down!” the man growled, looking away from Leo when the two joined them. The scowl he gave them made it clear he wasn’t too happy with their presence.

“I’ve been texting you for fucking weeks!” Leo yelled, tugging at his wrists but the other man — ‘Gav’, Simon realized — was stronger. “You give me the silent treatment this whole fucking time and then show up at my dad’s fucking funeral?! What the fuck?!”

“Hey!” The man tightened his grip on Leo, pulling his arms up to limit how much the other man could move. “I fucking admit that things got weird and I bailed. Does that make you happy? But I volunteered to watch over this shitshow because I got fucking worried about you.”

Leo stopped struggling but continued glowering at the slightly taller man. “You’re a fucking asshole, Gavin!”

“Yeah, I’ve been fucking told.” Gavin let go of Leo’s wrists and took a step back. He looked over toward Simon and Markus with a small scowl. “Can’t believe you got a plastic brother…”

Leo took another swing but Gavin caught him again.

“I think that’s enough,” Markus said, stepping forward to wrap an arm around Leo’s waist, ready to pull him back.

Gavin glared at him, his eyes flickering between him and Leo before he cursed under his breath.

“Look…” he focused his gaze on Leo, throwing his hands up in defeat. “I’m sorry, alright? I’m sorry about your dad and I’m sorry I’ve been avoiding you and I’m sure I have plenty of other stuff to be sorry about but I’m not that much of a wimp to know what they are.”

Three sets of eyes glared at him. He continued to ignore two in favor of one.

“I was fucking worried about you,” he repeated. “I don’t do that shit. I fuck’em and leave’em, sometimes more than once but… after that night, I wanted to call and check up on you. I was even willing to talk to the bit of plastic that picked you up that night if it meant getting an update. And that freaked me the fuck out. So, yeah, I did what I always do and avoided you. So… I’m sorry.”

Leo was silent for a moment, Markus’s arm still around his waist, before he quietly said, “Don’t call them plastic.”

“…What?” 

“Don’t call them plastic,” Leo said again, louder and with more confidence. “He’s my brother and… and Simon is my friend. Don’t use slurs about them. Or at all, for that matter.”

Gavin’s face scrunched up in a look of disgust. He looked over them all once again before he forced his face into a look of mild constipation instead of outright loathing. “Fine,” he agreed through clenched teeth. “Just don’t expect me to throw a parade in their honor or some shit.”

Simon and Markus continued to glare but Leo sagged a bit in his brother’s grasp.

“It’s okay,” he said, pushing Markus’s arm away. “I’ll… I’ll meet you back at the house.”

“Are you sure?” Markus asked, not taking his eyes off the other man.

“I’m sure,” Leo nodded, sounding tired now. “If you’re worried… his name’s Gavin Reed and he’s a detective at the DPD.”

Gavin’s scowl deepened as he crossed his arms, waiting.

“He probably won’t kill me,” Leo added, turning back to Markus. He slowly, a bit awkwardly, wrapped his arms around him for a quick hug. “I’ll be back tonight,” he said again. He took a step back, his brown eyes wet, and looked to Simon. “Take care of him, okay?”

“Always,” Simon agreed without hesitation. Leo gave him a small smile.

They watched as Leo walk away with the detective and get into the man’s old fashioned manual car.

“Will he be alright with him?” Simon asked as they turned to head back to Carl’s grave.

“…Maybe,” Markus said after a moment, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Connor and Hank should be waiting by the front gate to give us a ride home.”

“Alright.”

The ride back to the Manfred estate was silent and awkward after Hank and Connor’s condolences on the loss of Carl were repeated. They had done so before, the day after Carl had died, but Hank seemed compelled to repeat himself… most humans did.

 _Sorry we weren’t closer to the service,_ Connor said, making a quick connection to both of them. _Hank doesn’t like cemeteries…_ he explained as they pulled up to the large house.

North and Josh hadn’t returned yet and the house was dark and quiet. The curtains had been left drawn, the birds were still deactivated, and, now that the sun had drifted across the sky, this side of the house was in shadow.

“Come on,” Simon said softly, taking Markus’s hand in his own. He lead him through the foyer, to the living room. He pulled him to the couch, and sat down, pulling Markus down with him.

“You can let it go now,” Simon said softly. “You’ve been holding it back all day. I can tell.”

Markus stared at him, the green and blue of his eyes dim in the dark room. A sheen came over them and a few tears escaped. Then, all at once, Markus’s face crumpled like it had done the few nights before, when the heart monitor stopped beeping. Markus leaned forward, all but collapsing into Simon’s lap, burying his face in the caretaker android’s thigh, as he started sobbing.

Simon ran a hand up and down his back, comforting him as best he could, with his other hand held Markus’s. 

The locket around his neck felt both heavy and light at the same time, it’s presence still too new to be ignored. It was true for a lot of things…

Simon leaned his head back, resting it against the back of the couch, and let a few tears of his own fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might write a Gavin/Leo extended scene for this later.
> 
> Since this is two chapters written as one, there's a bunch of flowers going on:
> 
> Some meanings for Hydrangeas:  
> Pink: Heartfelt Emotions  
> Blue: Asking for Forgiveness, Regret  
> Purple: A desire for deeper understanding
> 
> Some meanings for the funeral flowers:  
> Sweet Pea: Goodbye  
> Chrysanthemum: Loyalty and Devotion, Enduring Life and Rebirth  
> Dark Red Roses: Grief and Sorrow  
> White Roses: Reverence, Humility, Innocence, Youthfulness


	5. April 27th + 29th, 2039

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon finds a cure for his boredom, Connor makes a visit and a confession.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, Look! The Asexual!Connor tags come into play!
> 
> Also, this wasn't edited as well as I usually do but I'm tired and want to post it so... I'll edit it better later.

The house was entirely empty — a situation Simon just wasn’t used to. 

After the funeral, there was no need for Austin to stay; he might have been their friend but he was doing a job more than anything. They had parted ways with a show of condolences, wishes of good luck, and the promise of help if Austin ever needed it.

Leo had moved out and into a small apartment a few doors down from Gavin. He hadn’t wanted to be reminded of anything — his past use, Carl, his childhood — more than he needed. He knew he would have to learn to deal with all of that eventually but not right now. Also, Gavin would be easier to reach in case he needed ‘some sense kicked into him’, as he said it.

North and Josh had left as well. They bought a house together and were giving the domestic life a try. It made North’s job as their official/unofficial bodyguard a bit complicated but Markus had assured her that, when at home, they could take care of themselves.

Which left Simon and Markus alone in the giant house. Not much seemed to have changed though: they still had to clean, though cooking was no longer required. There were plenty of books and movies to keep them occupied and Markus had all but taken over the studio with Simon treating it as Markus’s private domain.

It was nice, just the two of them. They had their space and they had each other, if they were needed.

Except for now. Markus was away for a few days with North and Josh — a meeting in D.C. to discuss Android Rights: compensation for past work, how past assaults against androids should be handled, etc, leaving Simon alone, sitting at on the window seat in his room, looking out over the backyard.

And he was bored. At least, from what he could tell, the emotion he was feeling right now was boredom.

Every thing that could be cleaned was cleaned, there was no one to cook for, no one to schedule appointments for or make sure they kept them… nothing to do but whatever he wanted to do… except he didn’t want to do anything.

He knew he could read a book, there were still plenty of them he had yet to read, but… he didn’t _want_ to. The very idea of reading, at that moment, was repellent. Maybe in a few days but right now… no, he didn’t want to do it. The same could be said for watching television or films or even playing on the few game consoles they had around the house.

He just… didn’t want to do it.

It was very… odd to have such a strong reaction to such a simple thing.

Simon leaned his head against the window and sighed as he studied his faint reflection. He wanted to do _something_. It was no wonder human’s equated boredom with losing their minds. It felt like there was a glitch somewhere in his wiring, powering circuits that didn’t need powering, triggering programming without meeting the necessary criteria first…

He tapped his head against the glass, just lightly but enough to make a small _tink_ sound every time the plastic of his head hit the glass.

He continued to stare out the window.

Even the backyard was immaculate. The grass was cut, the few flowerbeds were watered, the trees trimmed. It might have been a bit plain compared to the rest of the house but it was a pleasant enough…

Simon stopped tapping the glass and stared. Calculations and plans flew over his eyes, weighting his options, deciding on the best course of action. He might be taking some liberties, changing things he was never given permission to change, but that would be up to Markus and Leo to decide.

And, after all, didn’t humans have a saying for a situation like this? ‘It is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission’.

He smiled, standing up from his window seat to get started. After the tedium of the day, the exhilaration of having a project — of having something to _do_ was almost overwhelming, perhaps even intoxicating.

He’d have to plan everything out, of course. Things like this shouldn’t be taken lightly. He’d also have to use his own bank account — it had been sitting empty for years, having no master’s account linked to it anymore, but he had been gifted a bit of money from Carl’s will and Markus insisted he get paid for the work he does around the house… 

Most importantly, neither Markus or Leo would be alerted to Simon’s purchases. 

He wasn’t sure how the Manfreds would react to this surprise but Simon hoped it would be with awe and amazement. At least, that’s what his heart was set on and, he found, that was made the excitement over everything all that more powerful.

With the thought of Markus’s surprised, happy grin set firmly in his mind, Simon began to work.

* * *

Standing in the middle of the cleared out backyard, his boots caked in fresh dirt, Simon suspected he might have gone a bit too far.

Tearing up the previous flowerbeds and sod was a necessary evil for what he had in mind but, looking at the bare ground, doubt nagged at him. 

“It’ll look great when I’m done,” Simon muttered to himself and, in his mind, brought up the image of the final result he had prepared before he started work. The image showed the yard transformed: the outer edges of the yard covered first with trees along the privacy fence, then with bushes, then ending in taller flowers. In the center of the yard would be a small, round patio with a fire pit in the middle, surrounded by chairs. Leading up to the patio would be a loose spiral. The arm leading from the house to the patio would be a path but the other arms would be different flowers, each a different color…

Simon smiled. It was reassuring to see how this barren landscape should spring back to life once he was done. He already had the plants all bought, it was too late in the season to grow them from seeds, and waiting to be planted.

“Have I interrupted something?” 

Simon turned in surprise, not expecting to hear a voice speak to him, much less Connor’s. The other android was standing in the doorway leading out to the backyard. He had an uncomfortable, almost sheepish, look on his face. The clothes he wore only added to the awkward look, the DPD sweatshirt being far too baggy for the other’s frame.

“My security pass is still active,” Connor explained, the long fingers of his hands fidgeting against each other, picking at the fake skin of his fingernails. He must not have a coin on him.

“Sorry,” Simon said, quickly regaining his composure to smile at his friend. “I turned the alerts off so I wouldn’t get distracted... I wasn’t expecting guests…”

“Sorry,” Connor said again, looking past Simon to the destroyed backyard, curious. “I can come back later…”

“No, it’s fine,” Simon shook his head, sitting down on the porch steps to look up at Connor. “It can wait. What brings you over?”

He hadn’t seen Connor since Carl’s funeral and the android still wasn’t used to some aspects of deviancy and humanity. Among those aspects was the concept of a ‘casual visit’. Connor preferred to have a reason to visit them, as though coming just for the sake of it was somehow intruding.

The other android looked concerned for a moment, the LED he had opted to keep spinning yellow, before he lowered himself down to sit beside Simon.

“I… I’m not sure if this is appropriate but… I felt I needed to talk to someone,” Connor explained, his brows furrowed. “I usually go to Hank for things like this but… that’s not possible.”

“Why?” Simon asked, frowning now. Hank was to Connor what Carl had been to them: an example of humanity, of emotions, and how to live. If Connor couldn’t go to Hank…

“It’s about Hank… and myself,” Connor continued, not meeting Simon’s gaze, his projected skin taking on a reddish hue around the cheeks. Simon nodded, understanding a bit why Connor had come to him instead. “Our relationship has started to escalate and we’re…,” Connor stopped himself, smiling slightly. “We’re dating now.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Hank is a good man.”

“He is,” Connor nodded, looking down at his hands. He had laced his fingers together, pulled them apart, and was lacing them again. He looked up through his lashes at Simon. “I… I might have ruined everything… before we even got started.”

“…What happened, Connor?”

The detective android didn’t say anything for a moment, his LED was flickering between yellow and red.

“I was not designed for certain things,” Connor began, uncertain. “There are… parts that I am equipped with but… they weren’t meant for use. Not personal use anyway.”

“I think I know what you’re talking about,” Simon reassured him, feeling his own temperature heat up at the talk of genitalia and their optional installation of them. This was not what he thought they would be talking about. It wasn’t like he had any firsthand experience on the subject — he was still, more or less, in factory condition. He felt thoroughly over his head. “I don’t have them, optional upgrade and all that, but I know what you mean. W-was Hank surprised or put off by it?”

“No,” Connor shook his head. “I had warned him before we attempted to… He knew I was fully functional.”

“Then what…?” There must be something or else Connor would be here talking to him about it though Simon had no idea how he could possibly help the younger android.

“I wasn’t enjoying it,” Connor blurted the words out after a moment, looking up at Simon with an almost pleading look. “I-I wasn’t enjoying it. I-It felt nice and he was nice but I… I didn’t like it.”

“Woah,” Simon held up his hands, stopping Connor’s hurried speech before the other android’s stress levels could get too high — his LED was spinning red now. “Connor, calm down and tell me what happened.”

Connor closed his eyes and drew in a few deep breathes, forcing his temperature down, to stop himself from overheating. He looked back to Simon.

“I didn’t like it,” Connor said again, shaking his head. To Simon’s surprise, the other android’s eyes started to glisten, tears starting flow. “I told Hank to stop and he did. He asked what was wrong and I explained that I… I didn’t like being touched that way.” He ducked his head again, trying to discretely wipe at his eyes. “I-I told him I liked when we were kissing and cuddling on the couch. I liked holding hands and talking and…”

“But not sex?” Simon filled in for him.

Connor nodded. “He said maybe if I tried it but… I told him I had the memories of a dozen or so androids from the Eden Club, that I have second-hand experience from them.” Connor shook his head. “N-Not all the memories are bad — some of their encounters were actually pleasant but… just the thought of being touched like that, even when it feels nice… I just…”

“Hank was upset then?” Simon asked, scooting closer to Connor so their their knees pressed together, offering him a little comfort from the small touch but leaving enough room for Connor to move away if he wanted.

“Yes,” Connor nodded, “But not at me.” He looked up at Simon, tears falling faster than he could clear them away. “He blamed himself. H-he thought that if he was… if he was younger o-or more attractive then I… then I would…”

“Oh,” Simon moved closer, their sides pressed against each other now, and wrapped an arm around Connor’s shoulders. “That’s not your fault…”

“I know,” Connor nodded, wiping almost frantically at his eyes now. “I told Hank it wasn’t him but I don’t think he believed me and now… now _this_ won’t stop happening!”

“…This?” 

Connor gestured toward his face, toward the tears making their way down his cheeks. It took a moment for it to register but once it did, Simon almost had to bite back a laugh. As serious as this situation was for Connor, the thought of the deviant hunter — who was taking to deviancy like a trout to sky-diving — upset about crying just seemed a bit too ridiculous. It was also, unfortunately, not uncommon for some deviants to have such reactions to their emotions.

Simon pulled Connor into a full hug, holding him tightly.

“Emotions are hard,” Simon murmured in Connor’s ear. “Feeling them, expressing them… there were so many times I just didn’t want to feel them, just wanted to go back, but I knew it wouldn’t be worth it. You might hate them, Connor, but the tears are a gift.”

Connor make a sniffling sound — a humanizing feature as they had no mucus to try and hold back — and nodded.

“I-I don’t want to lose him, Simon,” Connor said, pressing his forehead against his shoulder. “M-Maybe I force myself… turn off some sensors or… show him that… that…”

“No, Connor,” Simon shook his head. “Don’t change yourself for someone else. If Hank loves you then… then it’ll work out.”

Statistics showed that was not always true in situations like these but they had no use for facts at the moment. They could only hope for the best.

After a few moments, Connor slowly pulled away from Simon. His tears had stopped but there was still a sadness to his face that he couldn’t hide.

“Thank you,” he said softly, staring down at the dirt that started at the bottom of the steps. “Sorry I put this on you… I didn’t know who else to turn to.”

“Don’t apologize,” Simon shook his head, standing up. He smiled down at Connor. “Though, if you like, you can help me start laying out the flowerbeds?”

Connor looked up at him then out over the vast canvas of dirt. He smiled slightly. “I don’t know anything about gardening… I wasn’t programmed…”

“Neither was I,” Simon reassured him. He sent him the picture of the intended final product. Connor’s LED went yellow for a moment as he studied the image. He smiled softly and, not waiting for any instructions from Simon, went over to the collection of plants and picked up a pot of white freesia.

“I’ll start over here,” he said, taking his chosen plant to the other side of the yard.

Simon watched him for a moment before collecting a pot of flax and following suit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flax can mean: domesticity and kindness
> 
> White Freesia can mean: Innocence, Thoughtfulness, Trust, Friendship, and Sweetness


	6. June 20th, 2039

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Markus gives Simon an art lesson and they both learn something they should have already known.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I barely edited this at all. Oops

The air was sweet with the scent of flowers. Simon sat on one of the benches on the patio, surrounded by the spiral garden he had created. The sun was high overhead and warm, almost hot, on his face as he basked in it.

Markus had loved the garden and the smile Simon had been given had far exceeded his expectations — the other android’s entire face had lit up with a look of wonder and something else in those mismatched eyes that Simon didn’t know how to describe. All he knew was that look had made his circuits buzz.

In the few weeks following the garden’s creation, it had become a kind of sanctuary for them all. Markus and himself would spend hours out on the patio, reading or drawing or just talking. When North and Josh came over, it became their unofficial meeting place — a comfortable space to discuss plans, strategies, politics, and the like.

When Leo came for a visit, he would some times bring a laptop with him. He had started taking college classes once again, just a few to stress-test himself, but one of the classes included a creative writing course. It was the hope that having a creative outlet that had no bad memories associated with it could help him cope better. It seemed to be working so far.

For the entire morning, it had only Simon out in the garden, enjoying the late spring day. He opened his eyes and stared up at the endless blue of a cloudless sky above him. He had heard people say that such a sky was empty, nothing more than a void, but he didn’t think so. It wasn’t empty, it was just so full that you couldn’t tell the difference.

He smiled at the thought.

He turned his head to look as the back door to the house opened. Markus, on one of his very rare days off, stepped out and leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms as he met Simon’s gaze from across the yard. He smiled at him.

“Simon?” he called out to him. “Can I… talk to you for a second?”

“Of course.”

It was darker in the house, especially after sitting in the sunlight, and it took a moment for Simon’s eyes to adjust to the lower levels of light.

On the unused dining room table sat a set of sharpened pencils and a large sketchpad — the cheap kind one got from the arts and crafts section of the grocery store. It was something that didn’t belong the former home of a world famous artist, much less in the hands of someone as skilled as Markus.

“I thought since I had a few days off… I could teach you some things?” Markus said, his statement of intent turning into a question as he look at Simon’s face. He shifted, awkwardly, from foot to foot. “I thought… well, I like drawing so I wanted to see if…”

Simon approached the table and ran his fingers over the paper. He looked up at Markus.

“I don’t think I can,” he said, completely honest. “I’m not designed to be creative, Markus.”

“You forget, I’ve seen your garden,” Markus smiled, taking one of the pencils to hand it to Simon. “The, uh, actual technical aspect shouldn’t be a problem for us so you don’t have to worry about it coming out like a scribble.”

“For you maybe,” Simon shook his head, smiling slightly. “I’m a domestic servant model, intended for childcare… my art programs are limited to coloring books and stick figures.”

“I’d love to see your stick figures,” Markus teased. He pulled out the chair in front of the sketchbook for Simon. “Just… draw something.” He glanced around for a moment before spotting what he wanted. He went to the bookcase and grabbed a small vase that had been sitting there to fill up the space. He sat the vase in the center of the table. “Draw that.”

Simon looked at the vase then to Markus’s hopeful face. He sighed softly and sat down, pulling the sketchbook to him.

He had seen Markus sketch before, had seen how the other android could turn out a completed picture in minutes if he was just drawing from a reference. The longest he had seen Markus work was only half an hour and that was with drawings of extreme detail and imagination.

Simon took a bit longer.

Looking at the picture, it was clearly the vase in question, sitting on the familiar table, but there was nothing special about it. It wasn’t even shaded in any meaningful way and a few of the lines that made the one-dimensional shape were a bit wobbly.

“It’s not bad,” Markus said, but Simon felt he was probably just saying that to be kind. “It’s a start.” He was sure it was meant to be reassuring. Markus hesitated a moment. “That is, if you want to keep going…”

Simon studied his drawing for a moment before, slowly, shaking his head. “I… think art might be your thing more than mine.” Markus nodded but there was a mild look of disappointment on his face. 

“I like it when you draw,” Simon told him, reaching up to squeeze his arm. “I like your paintings and your music, all of that. But I’m just… not artistically inclined.”

Markus nodded, not meeting Simon’s eyes.

Simon bit his lip nervously. He stood up and placed his hands on Markus’s arms, holding him in front of him.

“Does… it mean that much to you? Me learning how to draw? Or paint?” He hated how Markus looked now, the sad look in his eyes and that he had put it there. He had told Connor before not to change himself for someone else but… looking at Markus now, he felt willing to do just about anything to make him smile. “I-I can try again…”

Markus shook his head, finally looking up to meet Simon’s gaze. He shrugged a shoulder, smiling half-heartedly. “I guess I just wanted something we could share… like your garden.”

“Markus,” Simon pulled the other android to him, wrapping his arms around him in a tight hug. “I made it for you… I wanted to do it, yes, but the thought of seeing everyone’s reactions to it — seeing yours —… it’s our garden, not just mine.”

Markus pulled back, quirking an eyebrow at Simon as his smile became genuine as it turned mischievous. “You created the garden for me?”

Simon blinked at him. He felt the rush of blue blood through his body, concentrating on his cheeks so much that he was certain he must be glowing blue. He opened his mouth and gaped at Markus, trying to find the words. He really had admitted that, hadn’t he?

Markus’s smile grew into a grin now. He took Simon’s hands and, without a word, began leading him across the room to the studio. Ever since Carl had died, the studio had been Markus’s space. He even kept the massive curtains drawn shut, keeping the room private and secretive. Simon had never entered it, had never asked to.

Markus opened the door and pulled Simon through.

“Markus?” Simon asked, blinking as the lights automatically switched on in the dark room.

He had never given much thought to what the room would look like but, he found, he was expecting something more than this.

The room was clean and organized; all the paints were lined up on shelves, blank canvases were leaning against the wall by the door, the few easels in the room were empty except for one that was covered, and a table had been moved to the center of the room. There was a chair on one side, and on the table in front of the chair was Markus’s sketchbook.

“Markus?” Simon looked questioningly at the other android.

Markus walked to the table and picked up the sketchbook. He handed it to Simon. Simon looked down at the soft leather bound book. The pages were starting to fan out from the beginning of the book to the middle — a sign of how far into it Markus had gotten. 

“Open it,” Markus insisted.

Simon did.

The first page was a drawing of North. Her hair was done up in a braid with a few smaller braids laced into it. Sleek feathers, those from a bird of prey, adorned the side of her head. Her perfect face was streaked in war paint, under her eyes, over her forehead, down her jaw and chin, making her fierce expression all that more intimidating. Her clothes were of fur and leather with etchings of edelweiss flowers along the collar, and in her hand was a large broad sword.

“Boadica,” Simon smiled.

“It seemed to fit her,” Markus agreed, his smile a bit sad now. “Carl was good at seeing things in people…”

Simon turned the page.

Josh with longer hair and a pair of round horn-rimmed glasses looked up at him. Simon smiled at the picture. He looked like a proper professor, academic and intelligent. A single purple iris was in the buttonhole of the suit he wore.

The pages were filled with similar drawings. Some pages were covered with smaller sketches while some only held one, large drawing. There were pictures of them all in the pages. North in various historical outfits but some of her just relaxing, even smiling, her edges hidden for a moment; Josh giving speeches and wearing suits, looking more like a leader than even Markus. There were a few pictures of Connor, sometimes with Hank, sometimes not, but usually of him smiling, caught in a moment of unaware surveillance. There was one of the detective android wearing a daisy chain crown that made Simon smile.

There were sketches of Carl, young and strong or old and peaceful. There was one sketch that was unbearably soft, the edges of strokes fading away to nothing, leaving the familiar face distant and hazy. What looked like cyclamen petals floating in the wind around him.

There was a few of Leo, not many but the number grew the further into the book Simon got. The last picture of him, one of the few that was lightly colored in with pencil, was of the younger human smiling, his eyes downcast, the dark circles under his eyes gone, and Piper curled up in his arms, almost covering his chest entirely as she butted her head against his chin. A half-ring of white tulips framed them both.

Simon turned the page only to be met with a blank sheet.

Markus gently took the book from him, flipping it around as he stared down at the leather.

There were no pictures of Simon, no drawings.

“…They’re lovely,” he said, trying to ignore the vague feeling of pain in his chest the revelation created.

“That’s not all of them,” Markus said, his mismatched eyes staring down at the book. “I… there are more but… I’m not sure how you’ll like them.”

“Oh?” 

“They’re of you,” he said, his voice soft. His thumb was rubbing the leather binding. “I… I was set to show you when I brought you in here but now…”

The words wiped out the hurt instantly but the excited shock that went through his system was almost as bad. It was like his balance regulators were starting to malfunction despite them being in perfect working order… reeling, that’s what humans called it.

Simon bit his bottom lip, staring down at Markus’s dark hands. What had those hands drawn that could make their owner have doubts about sharing them? Did Simon even want to know?

Yes… yes, he did.

“Can I see them?” Simon asked, his voice surprising him with how steady it was.

Markus looked at him and his synthetic skin of his cheeks darkened. He nodded and, slowly, handed the book back to Simon, the back of it facing up.

“Just… if you don’t like them, I understand and… and I’ll never draw you again.”

Simon didn’t look up from the book, his hand slowly tracing over the leather. “Are they that bad?” he asked, trying to lighten the suddenly heavy atmosphere.

“Too personal,” Markus clarified, “Too… revealing. For me, anyway.”

“How?” Simon asked but he was already opening the back cover.

The first page that greeted him was what seemed to be a character study. The figures scattered across the page were twisted into various positions: sitting with their legs crossed, a view of their back as they twisted around to see behind them, looking down at their hands as though they were holding something dear to them. All of the figures had Simon’s face and every figure was drawn in obviously careful detail, down to the randomly generated freckles along Simon’s shoulders.

Wordlessly, Simon turned to the next page. Another study of him, this time focused on his face, the shape of his eyes and mouth; pictures of him smiling, of looking lost in thought, pictures of him frowning, crying, laughing…

The next page was a full picture, drawn in such detail that it might as well have been a photograph. It was of him sleeping, curled up on the couch, his face brightened by the sunlight streaming through the window above him. His first nap.

Page after page, Simon studied the pictures of him while Markus watched silently, awaiting judgment. There were drawings of Simon sleeping, cooking, gardening, playing with Piper, reading… every activity Simon would pass the time with, there was a picture of it.

Finally, he came to the last picture. This one wasn’t a sketch but a fully finished image: cleaned up, colored softly with colored pencils, and signed at the bottom.

And it was, like all the ones before, of him.

It was just showed him from the waist up. The Simon in the drawing looked out of the paper, his gaze soft and a shade of a blue that seemed exaggerated to the real Simon — he was certain his eye color closer to 93CDD8 than the 00C9FF Markus had given him.

But the most eye-catching part of the artwork was the flowers: His arms were wrapped around a bundle of deep purple but white-tipped gloxinia, their blooms and leaves all but cascading out of his arms. Beneath the abundance of flowers, it was clear that this rendition of him was wearing nothing but his synthetic skin and the wreath of flowers that adorned his head: gardenias and baby’s breath, woven together and placed on his head like a crown.

“Oh,” Simon said softly, almost breathlessly. He knew what those flowers meant… did Markus? He looked up to meet the other android’s eyes and… yes. Yes, it was clear Markus was as aware of their meaning as Simon was.

“…From the beginning?” Simon asked, examining the overflowing gloxinia in his arms.

“Yes,” Markus nodded, any lingering doubt or worry vanishing with that single word. “Though it took me a few days to figure out what it was I was feeling.”

Simon nodded. A small system warning popped up in the corner of his vision, warning about stress on his thirium regulator.

“Simon?” he looked back to Markus. “I… I understand if you… don’t feel the same…”

“I just… I need time to process this,” Simon admitted, slowly closing the sketchbook and setting it back onto the table. “I never expected…” he shook his head, still not quite believing it. People didn’t love Simon, not in a romantic way, at least. Amy loved him as family, Jericho, for the most part, loved him as a friend and protector. No one had ever loved Simon as a lover and for the first one to be someone like Markus? A man who saved them all, who loved openly and fiercely and would fight to the death to be able to do so?

It made sense for Simon to love him — how could he not — but how could Markus love someone like him? He wasn’t unique, he wasn’t particularly brave, he wasn’t anything or anyone special.

“Why?”

The question seemed to catch Markus off-guard.

“Why me?” Simon clarified, turning to face Markus directly. He didn’t understand… he needed to know. He held out his hand, palm up and asking. To his surprise, Markus smiled softly and, without hesitation, placed his hand over Simon’s, palm to palm. As the skin faded away from their joined hands, memories flooded through their connection, as though Markus couldn’t decide which to show first but wanted to show them all.

Simon smiling, Simon with snow in his hair and fire behind him, Simon holding Piper while the cat butted her head against him, Simon with blood trailing down from his mouth, Simon sitting in the closet comforting Leo, Simon standing in a dark, dank ship with his eyes closed, Simon, Simon, Simon…

Simon broke the connection with a soft gasp. He met Markus’s eyes and saw the sheepish but hopeful smile on the man’s face. He didn’t know what to say, but he knew words just weren’t enough. Not for something like this.

Simon pulled their still joined hands toward him, dragging Markus closer, and pressed his lips to his. He wasn’t sure how kisses were suppose to work: he’d never had reason to kiss someone before, not like this. He had heard kisses being described as breathtaking and even heart-stopping but he didn’t need to breath and his heart didn’t beat…

But he could understand why humans describe kissing in such a way: The feel of the soft warmth against his lips, the tingle of the slight connection created by the kiss, the knowledge that it was Markus kissing him — it was overwhelming.

Simon finally broke the kiss, not because he needed to breath but because the buzzing in his body was too much to handle. He stared into Markus’s eyes, his own wide with wonder. 

“That was nice,” Markus broke the silence with a smile. He leaned his head forward, resting his forehead against Simon’s.

“It was,” Simon agreed, his voice cracking slightly with static. He looked into Markus’s eyes. “Care to do it again?”

Simon closed his eyes as their lips met once again.

* * *

Simon opened his eyes. His battery was still low from his and Markus’ s activities but it wasn't an alarming condition… somehow, it was actually pleasant. 

Simon looked up at Markus, the other android sitting up in bed with his sketchbook in hand.

“What are you drawing? “ Simon asked, nuzzling his nose against Markus’ s hip, breathing in the scent of plastic, laundry detergent, and something that was, somehow, simply... Markus. He pressed a kiss to the patch of skin, feeling the brief tingle of interfacing that touch caused.

“My favorite subject,” Markus smiled, setting aside the color pencil he had been using. “I was very recently inspired…”

“Oh?” Simon sat up in bed to sneak a glance down at the book. He wasn't surprised by what he saw but his cheeks stilled heated up at the sight.

After that first kiss, things had progressed fast, almost faster than what Simon could handle. He wasn’t designed for things they had done while Markus seemed to be designed for everything.

Markus latest sketch was of him him again — a memory of just a few hours ago. Simon was drawn laid out over Markus’s bed, blue spreading out over his naked chest and neck, his body tense and obvious in it’s want. His hands were stretched out over his head, held in place by a single, darker hand. The desire he had felt was clear in his eyes and body, though he had no sexual parts to showcase that desire.

Simon’s eyes drifted down the drawing, to where Markus’s other hand that was cupped where Simon’s penis should have been. The other android’s fingers were white and glowing, interfacing with Simon, forcing the pleasure Markus was feeling into Simon, letting him feel the things he had never been meant to feel.

It had been, for lack of a better term, mind-blowing… and battery draining.

“Oh,” Simon breathed, feeling his pump speed up in response to the memory. “Is… is this how I looked? To you?”

Markus nodded, turning his head to look down at Simon. “You’re gorgeous, do you know that?”

“I’m just a PL600,” Simon said, shaking his head. He looked back down at the drawing in Markus’s hands. The other android had a very flattering opinion of him. “If I’m gorgeous then we all are.”

“Maybe,” Markus said, not arguing the fact. He set the sketchbook down on the bedside table and turned to Simon. He climbed onto top of him, pressing Simon back down onto the bed, trapping him with a hand on either side of his face, and stared deep into his eyes. “You’re gorgeous, Simon. And I don’t mean your make and model. You. Everything about you…”

Simon stared up at Markus. He focused on the expression on his lover’s face, the feel of their bodies pressed together, the sound of the words and the meaning behind them… he tried to embed it all inside him, add it to his code so he would never forget it.

He reached up and placed his hands on Markus’s hips, holding him close. “Flatterer,” he accused, smiling up at the other android. “I think you’re just trying to get me into bed.”

“It seems to have worked,” Markus laughed softly, playing along. He pressed a kiss to the tip of Simon’s nose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The flowers mentioned can have the following meanings:
> 
> Edelweiss: Couragous  
> Iris: Faith, Thank you for your friendship  
> Daisies: Innocence, Loyal Beauty  
> Cyclamen: Goodbye, Separation  
> White Tulips: Forgiveness  
> Gloxinia: Love at first sight  
> Gardenia: Secret admiration and Love  
> Baby's Breath: Innocence, Gladness

**Author's Note:**

> http://kariki.tumblr.com


End file.
